Reproductive Justice Advocates Celebrate First Federal Pharmacare Agreement with Manitoba

Press Release - February 27, 2025

Reproductive justice advocates across Canada are celebrating the announcement that Manitoba has become the first Canadian province to sign a pharmacare agreement with the federal government.

At a press conference on February 27, federal Minister of Health Mark Holland announced that Canada was committing $219 million over four years to provide universal coverage to a range of contraceptive, diabetes, and menopause hormone therapy (MHT) – also known as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) – medications in Manitoba. Coverage for most of these medications will begin in June of this year.

This funding represents a significant expansion of medication coverage in Manitoba, after the province became the second jurisdiction in Canada to begin providing universal coverage of prescription contraception on October 1, 2024.

The cost of prescription contraception can be significant, and falls disproportionately on people who can become pregnant. A hormonal intrauterine device (IUD) can cost up to $500, contraceptive implant $350, oral contraceptive pills cost at least $240 per year, and hormonal injections as much as $180 per year. In addition to helping prevent unintended pregnancies, people use contraceptive medications for a wide range of reasons, including treating chronic pelvic pain, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, heavy menstrual bleeding, irregular cycles, hormonal acne, cyclical mood changes, and gender affirming care.

“We are so thrilled and so proud that Manitoba is leading the way in implementing the Pharmacare Act,” said Dr. Sabrina Lee, co-founder of Birth Control Access Manitoba.

“Manitoba made great strides in improving medical equity and reproductive justice by making prescription contraception free last year. We hope that this expansion of prescription medication coverage is the first step towards a fully comprehensive and universal national pharmacare plan.”

Birth Control Access Manitoba has been advocating for universal, no-cost coverage for prescription contraception in Manitoba since 2021, when it was started by Drs Helen Pymar, Sabrina Lee, and Raelene Foisy.

Canada passed Bill C-64, an Act respecting pharmacare, on October 10, 2024. The Act commits to funding universal, single-payer, first-dollar coverage for critical contraception and diabetes medications. Provinces must sign bilateral implementing agreements with the federal government before that funding comes into effect. While Manitoba is the first province to sign a full implementing agreement, British Columbia signed a memorandum of understanding committing to negotiations to implement the Pharmacare Act on September 12, 2024.

Studies have found that free prescription contraception is a revenue positive policy. Dr. Wendy V. Norman, of the Contraception & Abortion Research Team (CART), Contraception Cost-effectiveness modelling project team at the University of British Columbia, recently calculated that the policy would save the BC healthcare system approximately $27 million per year and the Ontario healthcare system approximately $76.9 million per year.

“This announcement is a huge victory for the advocates in Manitoba and across the country who have been fighting for decades for a comprehensive and universal national pharmacare plan,” said Dr Helen Pymar. “I hope that the rest of Canada can recognize that contraception and menopause hormone therapy are critical medications that deserve priority in a national pharmacare plan. This an enormous step forward for gender equity and best practice in healthcare.”

“Right now, Canada is the only high-income country with universal healthcare but without universal prescription drug coverage,” said Devon Black, co-founder and national liaison for AccessBC, the grassroots campaign that successfully advocated for free prescription contraception coverage in British Columbia. “Hopefully the implementation of this pharmacare agreement in Manitoba is the first step towards changing that. This agreement means that people across the province will soon be able to access life-saving and life-changing medication without worrying about cost.”

“Free prescription contraception is a fantastic policy that improves health outcomes, makes life more affordable, increases equality, and saves provincial governments millions,” said Teale Phelps Bondaroff, chair and co-founder of AccessBC. “I hope that Manitoba’s leadership will inspire other provinces to step up and sign similar agreements with the federal government. This will help remove barriers that Canadians face when trying to access life-saving and life-changing medicine.”

Minister Holland, from the Government of Canada press release:

“This first national pharmacare agreement with Manitoba is a landmark step in the journey to build the public healthcare system that Canadians deserve. This is about building a stronger, healthier Canada so that no matter where you live or how much you make, you are covered.”

Contraception Access in Canada and Background

In April 2023, British Columbia became the first province to make prescription contraception free In BC, this policy has already improved access to contraceptives for thousands of residents.A recent article in the Martlet reported that in the first 15 months of the program, 252,000 British Columbians access free prescription contraception: 152,200 patients accessed hormonal pills, 48,200 accessed hormonal IUDs, 9,500 patients received hormonal injections, 7,500 received a copper IUD, 7,400 had an implant, and 2,000 received a vaginal ring.

The success of AccessBC’s initiative has sparked similar movements across Canada, with grassroots campaigns now active in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. On October 1, 2024, Manitoba became the second Canadian province to implement free prescription contraception.

A link to the MOU signed between the Federal Government and the Government of British Columbia, on September 12, 2024, can be found here, and the Federal Government’s news release can be found here.

A list of campaigns across Canada can be found here.